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Blog Posts

Overall my training is going really well. Pleased to report that I am over the head/chest cold that plagued me for the last month or so. I am now free to exercise without fear of choking to death as I cough...a huge plus. I have been very consistent for the last three weeks and my fitness is to the point where the numbers look good even if I don't feel like it's going to be a good workout. Pretty pumped to be here before December hits.

Sleep is okay, not great. I recently decided to pay closer attention to my caffeine intake, as I think that was hurting me. I need to focus on getting to bed at a consistent time now that my "getting up" time seems pretty locked in at 5am.

The body continues to make me aware of my desire to push my limits. Currently focused on caring for right hamstring and calf, especially after my long runs. I expect some of that fatigue to go, or shift, as my ability to run tempo for long periods of time will fade with the Fall weather (see below).

Body Composition is hovering at 185 right now, which is a good place to be. My goal is to get down to about 178 -- and really be there for race week! -- and I have a few months to do that which is nice.

The Swim -- Continue to swim about 3-4 kms a week, seeking pain-free and comfortable strokes. Still very early here so trying to get this right. My shoulder rehab continues. Current approach is that back (upper back) is really weak, and no longer holding my shoulders in position in contrast to all the aero / computer / swim "forward" positioning that I have enjoyed for many years. Have a suite of exercises I do daily, and am down to 1x PT a week right now.

The Bike -- I continue to see progress here...shame on me for neglecting intervals during the season as much as I have. I am currently sitting on an estimated indoor FTP of about 330, and I look to keep moving that up over the next few weeks. I SWAG my indoor / outdoor FTP delta to be about 5%...so a 330 is "really" a 345 outside. Would like to get my indoor FTP up to 350 for a 365 outdoor FTP. That would put my .73 race day effort at about 265. That said, finding another 20 watts -- even though it's just 6% improvement -- won't come easily (lot of work to be done yet!).

The Run -- I am enjoying some great long runs in the 10 to 13 mile range, running between 6:33 and 6:40, and my mid-week 2x1 mile repeat times seem to be dropping. I am going to continue pushing the long runs for the short term as I know the snow / ice will be here soon enough and I'll need to dial them back to a more pedestrian (read "safe" effort), or worse yet do the work on the treadmill. When that time comes I will most likely shift to more of a steady long run pace with either 2 x FTP runs or 1 x FTP and 1 x HILL run (both on a treadmill). Still plan on keeping the long run in the 75- to 90-minute range.

Right now my basic week looks like this:

Mon - FTP bike of 2x12', run later if possible.

Tues - FTP run of 2 x 1 mile.

Wed - VO2 bike of 4x4', run later if possible.

Thu - Swim Day + Optional Yoga

Fri - FTP bike of 2x12'

Sat - ABP long run of 10-13 miles.

Sun - Swim Day + Optional Yoga

I plan on sticking with this week through the New Year as long as I continue to see improvements in the individual workouts. The only change is a steady 60' spin before my long runs on the weekend as I need to start adding a bit of ride volume to prepare for the January Volume Camp.

My target for each discipline in December is:

Swim - To build up to 3 swims a week of 8,000 yards total with no pain.

Bike - To test at 340 just before Xmas. Ambitious but I am all in.

Run - Not sure what I am going to do here. My vDOT is pretty high and I am not sure it's worth jeopardizing my health to chase a number (and body comp losses will help). I will keep my current 4 runs a week schedule and aim to log about 35 miles per week.

In the tradition of telling you what I am up to (in case you aren’t stalking me on Strava!), here’s what I have been doing post Kona.

I spent the first two weeks doing nothing. Really. Well, I organized my pantry, garage and tupperware. Cleaned the bike. Set up the pain cave. Mowed the lawn like 8 times. You get the idea. My wife can’t wait for me to start training again.

I too am pretty excited. This time of year I work with a handful of athletes on crafting their Annual Plan as a target for Kona (see the Additional Services Tab on the Members site, TeamEN Members ONLY!). It’s a lot of fun and very useful for me as well. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step, an in the Fall it is the Season of Steps!

12 - Weeks of IM Plan in to IM Texas = Not sure I will be able to handle a full 12 weeks…this is TBD.

The Run Durability Plan is on the agenda for a few reasons. First, I have a few critical things to focus on and it's hard to focus on them when I am also drilling myself to get crazy fast. Second, I know my ability to focus into a race is limited; this way I am reducing the "Work Time to Race" window. Third, I have experience crazy over achieving early in the OS then getting sick and adjusting...I am hoping to reduce / eliminate that pattern this year by putting it at a time when I am ready for the work.

During this window I have several camps and events to keep me motivated and on track, including:

+ January Volume Camp [1/16 to 1/19 — (here) a nice break from the cold and a chance to keep the endurance fires burning.

+ Birthday Run [3/8] — Don’t think I am going to run 41 this year, but I am going to start the annual tradition of a nice long long long run on this day as an early season target.

+ Texas Race Camp [3/19 - 3/22] — (here) a great chance to get dialed in to the course, my fit, nutrition and experience the “heat” on the ground.

+ Blue Ridge Cycling Camp [4/29 to 5/3] — (here) Final big push on the bike before the race.

As an Update

I have realized the shoulder pain that I have been dealing with wasn’t going away with rest. A trip to the PT has let me know that my back muscles on the left side are weak, such that my pec, combined with some serious “forward” rotation (think aerobats, swimming and…yes…excessive time at my laptop) has caused some issues. So it’s off to PT again albeit for a slightly lesser issue than normal.

And my “light” focus on Run Durability has already paid off as I have my annual Fall Cold…so no pressure on me to crush the workouts…just have to be consistent. You can follow my daily progress over on Strava or on Twitter.

When done well, your website will act as a strong foundation for your organization and can create an effective online presence that does your marketing for you. So, before another season begins, make sure your website looks clean and is up to date and organized for the best user experience. If your website is unclear or confusing, your online visitors will leave before they can learn about your organization or join it!

Here are some areas you can quickly update to make your website a better place to visit:

1. Update navigation labels. Update your site’s menu names so they are fresh and fun. Change your Home page to “Home Plate” or your Locations page to “Where it’s at!” Get creative and have fun with it! In your site admin, go to My Site Design>Labels.

2. Include pictures or videos on your Home Page. Parents and players LOVE to see photos of your organization in action. Some of the best looking and most visited eteamz sites include photos or videos on their home page. In your site admin, go to Website Pages>Home Page.

3. Take it easy. Rather than including everything under the sun on your home page, try to just fit the most valuable information above the fold of the home page (the part visitors can see without scrolling down), then use the News pages to add content to your site. In your site admin, go to Website Pages>My Site News (or Add a New Page).

4. Play around with color. Keeping with your organization's color theme is great – but how about dressing up your sites a little during the holidays? Or swap the background colors with the font colors? Keep it fresh and people won’t get bored with the same old thing. In your site admin, go to My Site Design>Customize.

5. Update calendar (and keep it up-to-date). List important dates and/or create an online calendar that plots out all of your not-to-be missed registration deadlines, tournaments and more. An up-to-date calendar, you make your site a relevant place for your participants to come to get important info about your organization In your site admin, go to Calendar>Click on Calendar to Add Events.

Given Christmas is right around the corner, you might be looking for a helpful present for a friend or teammate? Or, given the New Year is right around the corner, perhaps you want to give yourself the gift of higher energy and better athletic performance?

Below is my short list of nutrition resources that can make a difference in a person’s life.

Having sold over 550,000 copies since the release of the first edition, this easy-to-read resource is considered by many athletes to be their “nutrition bible.” It's comprehensive yet enjoyable—and even has a recipes for sports foods.

You might also enjoy my sport-specific books that make useful gifts for friends, family and teammates:

An estimated 30 to 60% of female athletes (as well as a smaller number of males) struggle with balancing food, weight, and exercise. If you or someone you know struggles with disordered eating patterns, let them know they are not alone and can benefit from these self-help books.

PS. Many athletes would rather meet with a sports nutritionist in person than read a book. In that case, use the referral network at www.SCANdpg.org and create a gift certificate for a nutrition check-up!

For athletes, Thanksgiving is a super day to take a day off from exercise, relax with family and friends, and to carbo-load. Your muscles will benefit from having time to refuel, recover, and heal. As we all know, rest is a very important part of a training schedule.

The traditional Thanksgiving dinner offers the perfect combination of sports foods: abundant carbs (to fuel the muscles) and protein (to build and repair the muscles). The goal is consume three times more carbs than protein. Here is the line-up:

By fueling well on Thanksgiving, your muscles will be ready to exercise hard on Friday. And when your workout is over and you are ready to refuel, why not enjoy a turkey sandwich with stuffing and cranberry sauce, some fruit from the cornucopia, and leftover apple pie. Yum!

Nancy, here’s a question for you. Should my calorie intake fluctuate based on how much training I'm doing? I usually do between 90 and 120 minutes a day, but sometimes I might do just a 45-minute workout. Do I cut my calorie count proportionally?

Answer:

On days when you are doing less exercise you will likely want to eat just as much (or almost as much) because—

1) Your muscles are using any extra unburned calories to refuel your depleted glycogen stores from the previous days’ tiring workouts, and

2) You may be more active during the rest of your "light exercise" days. That is, observe if on your light days or rest days you decide to mow the lawn, vacuum the house, wash your car, and do lots of errands. That extra activity counts!

Your best bet is to listen to your body; it is your best calorie counter. If you are thinking about food and fighting the urge to eat, your body is saying it needs more fuel. When you eat something to resolve that hunger, observe if you--

--feel better,

--stop obsessing about food, and

--have interest in doing something other than fight off urges to eat.

I generally eat just as much on rest days. Sometimes by dinner I am not as hungry, so I eat a lighter dinner just because I don't want a heavy meal. I listen to my body and trust it can regulate an appropriate food intake. Perhaps you can experiment and observe ithat your body can also naturally regulate a proper intake? (It that seems too hard, you might want to meet with a sports dietitian who can help you eat intuitively. Use the referral network at www.SCANdpg.org.)

Looking for some comfort food to take the edge off of a tiring day? This recipe from the new fifth edition of my Sports Nutrition Guidebook will give you a “food hug” within the boundries of a healthy meal. Enjoy!

Light-yet-lively Mac & Cheese

I’ve lightened up his family favorite meal by adding diced cauliflower. No one will notice the difference, especially if you use small shells for the pasta. The cauliflower hides inside the shell.

Becausethis recipe includes chopping and grating, invite a friend or family member to help you cook. While you make the sauce, someone can grate the cheese, and another person can dice the cauliflower. The final result is a meal made with love.

If you don’t have time to bake the Mac & Cheese, skip those instructions. It tastes good right off the stove top!

2 cups (about half a box) of uncooked small pasta, such as small elbows or small shells

2 cups finely diced cauliflower

2 cups milk

3 tablespoons flour

¼ tsp dry mustard

¼ tsp garlic powder

dash cayenne

salt, pepper to taste

5 ounces shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese

Optional: 2 tablespoons lowfat cream cheese

1.Fill a pasta pot with water and to a boil. While the water is heating, dice the cauliflower into small pieces.

2.Add the pasta to the boiling water, cook for about five minutes, and then add the diced cauliflower. Drain when the pasta and cauliflower are tender, in about 4 or 5 minutes.

3. In a large saucepan, wisk together the flour and milk, place over medium-high heatand bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Nancy, I can’t believe you recommend chocolate milk as a good recovery food for athletes after a hard workout. It’s filled with refined sugar!!!!

My response: Yes, chocolate milk (or any flavored milk, for that matter) contains added sugar. For hard-working athletes, sugar is a form of carbohydrate that refuels depleted muscles and feeds the brain. Like the sugar in bananas and oranges, the sugar in chocolate milk comes alongwith a plethora of nutritional benefits. That makes chocolate milk a better option that chugging a sports drink that offers just empty calories.

A reasonable guideline for an athlete is to limit refined sugar intake to no more than 10% of daily calories. That equates to about 200 to 300 calories a day. The sweaty, tired athlete who recovers with a quart of Gatorade consumes 200 calories of refined sugar— and misses out on positive nutritional benefits that could have been provided by chocolate milk.

Despite chocolate milk's sugar content, the beverage remains nutrient-dense. When athletes refuel with chocolate milk, they get not just sugar that fuels their muscles, but also:

--high quality protein that builds and repairs muscles

--calcium that strengthens bones

--vitamin D that enhances calcium absorption

--sodium that helps with fluid retention and replaces sodium lost in sweat

--a desirable balance of carbohydrate and protein. (The muscles recover will with three times more carbs than protein.)

I invite you to pay more attention to the nutritional value of the whole beverage rather than just the added sugar. Chocolate milk offers far more nutrients than the sports drinks that athletes commonly chug after a hard workout. Those sports drinks, as well as other commercial “sports foods” (gels, chomps, sports beans, sports candies), receive little public criticism yet are generally 100% refined sugar with minimal, if any, nutritional benefits. In my opinion, those engineered sports foods are the bigger nutritional concern than the 40 to 50 calories of sugar added to 8-ounces of chocolate milk.

Peace,

Nancy

PS. Yes, a "perfect diet" would have no refined sugar .. but who said an athlete needs to eat a perfect diet to have a good diet?

This event is specifically for women runners over 40. My talk takes place Monday Nov 18 from 12-1:00 EST; see the list below of others speakers on other days. This is a free opportunity to get running advice from renowned experts so you can discover how to:

Deal effectively with the particular challenges that women runners face in their 40s,50s, 60s and 70s.

Prevent and treat injuries so you can avoid frustrating layoffs that derail your progress

When you are exercising for more than 60-90 minutes, you want to consume quickly absorbed carbohydrates to keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable throughout your run. Many marathoners are confused about what to eat during long runs. The following tips can help you fuel wisely and avoid from hitting the wall. (Remember that it’s important to experiment with fueling during long training runs to avoid any race-day surprises!)

-- How can you tell when you should eat during long runs? Pay attention to your body’s requests for fuel: mood-change, thoughts about food, reduced energy, tired legs, slower running…

--The amount of carbohydrates needed will vary from person to person (body size, speed, intensity, and training will all effect this), but aim for between 150-300 calories of carbohydrates per hour. This can be from a mix of sports drinks like Gatorade to foods like Gu, candy, or dried fruit.

--Most runners start consuming carbohydrates (sports drink) beginning at 45 minutes to an hour into the race. Breakfast fuels the start of the run.

--If you are a slow runner, vary your food choices to reduce "flavor fatigue" for 4+ hours. It’s easy to get through a half marathon relying only on gels, but it’s difficult to keep that up for twice the time. You’re likely to get “sugared out,” meaning your taste buds or stomach may not tolerate the same food for that many hours. Experiment with a few different options during longer training runs to see what your stomach and GI tract tolerate and what gives your body the most energy.

--Convenience is the big advantage to engineered sports foods such as Gu, Chomps, Sport Beans, and the like. Most come in pre-packaged 100-calorie servings, and they are easy to carry with you. However, real food can work just as well, particularly for slower marathoners who will be pounding the pavement for more than four hours.

Here are some common choices among runners:

- Raisins,dates, dried cranberries—or any dried fruit

- Swedish fish, jelly beans, gummy bears, or other chewy candy

- Pretzels, fig cookies

- Dried cereal

- Mini peanut butter and jelly (or honey) sandwiches*

- Banana*

-

- *If you prefer snacks that aren’t convenient to carry in your pocket, ask friends or family to stand along your race-day route at points when you know you will need fuel.

--Gatorade or other sports drinks contribute to your carbohydrate intake. Just pay attention to how much you are consuming so you can adjust your food intake. Diluted fruit juice can work well for some too.

Marathon excitement is in the air! If you are one of the nervous runners, here’s a basic nutrition tip to help you prepare for the 26.2-mile event:

Carbo-load, don't fat-load!

To their dismay, many runners confuse high fat foods and high carb foods. They fat load. Fat does not get stored in your muscles as glycogen (the fuel needed to prevent you from “hitting the wall”). Only carbs get stored in your muscles as glycogen.

Carbohydrate-rich foods include:

Hot and cold cereals

Fruits- bananas, grapes, raisins, and all fresh and dried fruits and juices

To listen to my clients talk, I’m left wondering if food is addictive:

“I don’t do cookies; I eat too many of them.”

“I stay away from M&M’s otherwise I’ll eat the whole bagful.”

“I’m addicted to french fries…I eat them uncontrollably”.

If clients have addictive-like patterns of overeating, does that mean food is addictive?

The topic of whether or not food addiction is a real disorder was addressed at the 26th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress. According to Dr. Dickson, a Swedish neuroscientist, "Food consumption, unlike alcohol, cocaine, or gambling, is necessary for survival. But we don't completely understand why certain vulnerable individuals become addicted, transferring something rewarding to [something they become addicted to.] For drugs, it's much easier to separate what's going on,"

"The evidence itself is insufficient to support the idea that food addiction is a mental disorder. We do not have a clinical syndrome of food addiction so far, and it is very important to establish the validity of a condition before putting it forward for inclusion in the [diagnostic manual for mental disorders]."

"In man, there is no solid evidence that any food, ingredient, combination of ingredients, or additive (with the exception ofcaffeine) causes us to become addicted to it. That is different from drugs, which we know engage the brain and cause us to become addicted to them," she explained. "Still, if we move away from food and concentrate on the individual, we can see that certain obese individuals express addiction-like behaviors."

Hisham Ziauddeen, PhD of University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, notes that although the idea of food addiction is appealing, there is little evidence so far showing that it exists in humans. "It is a very important idea to explore, but it is essential that we have sufficient research to conclusively support it.

What I have seen in my clients who describe themselves as being addicted to food is they become too hungry. The physiological response to extreme hunger is to over-eat. Perhaps a simple solution to perceived food addiction is a heartier breakfast?

Football Sunday can take it’s toll on your waistline. If you have trouble over indulging in “football food,” enjoy this yummy-yet-healthy recipe for oven-fried chicken. It's one of many crowd pleasers from the new 5th edition of my SportsNutrition Guidebook.

For best results, bake the chicken on a wire rack; this allows air to circulate on all sides and you’ll get crisper chicken. Plus, you won’t have to turn it during cooking. Meanwhile, the foil pan lining speeds your clean-up time.

1 box (5 ounces) Melba toast

2 to 4 tablespoons olive or canola oil

2 egg whites or 1 egg

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Optional: 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard; salt and pepper as desired

1. Heat oven to 400 °F (200 °C).

2. Place a wire rack in a shallow baking pan lined with foil.

3. Add the Melba toast to a heavy-duty plastic bag, seal, and crush with a rolling pin (or other hard object) into crumbs, leaving some crumbs as large as small corn kernels.

4. Pour the crumbs into a shallow dish and drizzle the oil over them. Toss well to distribute the oil evenly.

5. Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Add mustard, salt, and pepper if desired.

6. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, allow excess to drip off, and then place each coated breast in the crumbs. Sprinkle the crumbs over the chicken and press them in. Shake off excess crumbs and place the chicken on the rack.

7. Bake for 40 minutes. The coating should be deep brown and the juices should run clear when the meat is cut.

My best-selling (550,000+ copies) Sports Nutrition Guidebook is now available in a new Fifth Edition!!! The mission of the new edition is to create clear and simple solutions to your food challenges.

This Sports Nutrition Guidebook is fast-reading, entertaining, and filled with real-life stories. If you are not a “reader” (or have “no time” to read), that’s not a reason to overlook this book. It is well indexed so you can simply look up a specific topic and find practical tips and food information that resolves your food and fueling questions. Simply leave the book on your kitchen counter and use it as a resource! You might even end up making some of the yummy recipes!

If you have already enjoyed one of the first four editions of this book, why would you want to buy this new fifth edition?

Why? The Fifth Edition offers the cumulative wisdom gained during 35 years of being an effective “food and weight coach” for both casual exercisers and competitive athletes. Just maybe the information will help you resolve the barriers that block you from getting what you want from your current diet and teach you how to enjoy more energy, lose undesired body fat, and have more fun.

Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook has four sections:

1. Day-to-Day Eating on the Run

2. Sports Nutrition: Fueling for Success

3. Weight Management Tactics / Tips to Resolve Diets Gone Awry

4. Simple Recipes for non-chefs and active families

In the information-packed pages, you’ll get the tools you need to resolve your food, weight, and energy problems—as well as take your performance to the next level. When ordering, think about adding a few extra copies for your active family members, friends and teammates. What better gift than practical solutions to the challenges of our daily food environment?! Plus, everyone loves the quick-and-easy recipes that are family-friendly!

With best wishes for high energy, good health and improved performance,